Most Christians I know fall into one of two camps with AI.
They either think it’s the end of the world.
Or they think it’s going to solve everything.
Neither is right.
I was a guest on Open Bible, Open Life with Pastor Kyle Mercer at Two Cities Church, and we talked about a different way to think about it.
Here’s what I actually believe:
AI is a tool. The same way Roman roads were a tool. The same way the printing press was a tool. Every major technology in history has been used to advance the gospel or to cause harm.
The question isn’t whether to use it.
The question is whether you’re going to be a 5-talent person or a 1-talent person with it.
We also got into some things most people aren’t talking about:
Voice cloning is already so good your spouse can’t tell the difference. Your family needs a passcode. Today.
The best way to start with AI is embarrassingly simple: just ask it what it could help you with.
How Eleven22 is translating sermons into Spanish for about $50/week, reaching people who’d never otherwise hear the message.
If you’ve been unsure what to think about AI as a Christian, this is a conversation worth watching.
Link in the first comment.
What’s the one thing about AI you’re most unsure about?
My response to Jay
Thanks for sharing, Jay.
I think your narrative is pigeonholing AI into a false dichotomy.
And the comparisons to other technological advancements such as roads and the printing press.
AI, in the form of LLMs, generative tools, and agentic applications, is completely unlike what we have seen before. It is also incredibly flat, in that everyone with access to a computer has access to this technology.
The risks abound due to its speed and capability to analyze data. The genie is out of the bottle and there’s no going back. Guardrails won’t work because there will be plenty of options for people to run technology locally.
It’s already destroyed the legal notion of intellectual property under the guise of fair use: AI, Copyright, and the Law: The Ongoing Battle Over Intellectual Property Rights
Privacy is on the ropes with Flock, Ring, and other surveillance video technologies powered by AI. Back in the 90s, we thought Carnivore was bad, and now we have Carnivores sucking up data from every facet of life.
Humans are turning to software instead of humans for connection. Many have believed they tapped into the Godhead when chatting away for hours with an LLm. Some even think it can tell them where they will find their soulmate: ChatGPT promised to help her find her soulmate. Then it betrayed her
People feel like they are learning or doing more while their brains turn to mush: Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task
And sure, there are positives of course, too. As you mentioned, translations, transcriptions, and typical computer based activities and actions.
What gives you confidence we won’t continue on this decline?
